A Game of Codes
by TheNewCatch24
Summary: "You must understand, Tywin Lannister, that those who kill should be prepared to be killed!" "Robb Stark, if the king does not move then how can his subordinates follow?" "There can be only one King and it shall be me!" Under the aegis of the thought elevator, Lelouch Vi Britannia has arrived in Westeros, and he has come to change everything.
1. Chapter 1 - Into the Abyss

**Chapter 1: Into the Abyss**

"Don't die looking like that! You should come to death smiling, C.C.!" Lelouch was desperate. C's world was crumbling around him and everything was wrong: his worst enemy was immortal, Shirley was dead, and now C.C. was hurling towards the endless abyss of C's world.

Yet, Lelouch refused give up in despair. In these desperate of times he, Zero, will cause a miracle to end his strifes. He pushed the Shinkiro towards the lime-headed witch and reached out his right hand so that he may grab her; he wanted to save her now when she was at her lowest point, just as the witch had saved him when he was at his.

Upon pulling her inside the Knightmare Frame, he artfully fired two shots towards the platform where his father stood and all the while he avoided the falling chunks of debris. Death might not be an option, but trapping his tyrant of a father within a supernatural dimension was a solid alternative.

"You naive fool! Do you think this is enough to stop me? I allowed you to have at me boy, yet you failed in your actions," Yelled Charles as both of their eyes made an intense contact. "You have always been a failure, Lelouch!"

"Shut up! Father, I will have you trapped in this accursed dimension with me! All your plans are useless so long as you can't interfere with the world!" In that fraction of a moment many things passed between father and son: hatred, disgust, disappointment, determination, and then, in a slow but deliberate manner, a vicious smirk graced the face of the emperor.

The red symbol that identified all code-bearers shone brilliantly on the immortal's palm.

The illuminated sigil, in all its brightness, cut through the dust that floated into the air due to the carnage Lelouch had caused. He gritted his teeth while strengthening the grip on the unconscious C.C. and averted his blind eyes.

"What cheap trick is this?" Lelouch futilely attempted to maneuver the Shinkrio while his eyes failed to accommodate to the luminous light. Falling pieces of C's World struck the Knightmare repeatedly with each large hit knocking the wind out of him. He activated the Shinkiro's shields but it was too late, the rubble had taken out the float units.

His father gave out a confident laugh that chilled his spine and boiled his blood. "My son, you have lost!"

He opened his eyes as the brightness died away only to be met with a horrific sight. His father was _floating_ in midair, courtesy of his code probably, while he and C.C. plummeted to the

bottom of this abysmal pocket dimension. His immortal father smirked, "Begone my son! Farewell!"

Lelouch held C.C. closer and shut his eyes once again, burying his face in her hair. He told himself that it was all okay. Nunnally will be safe from his fathers clutches as long as that tyrant was perpetually and ridiculously _floating_ in this world. He had hoped that both he and his father could have repent for their unforgivable sins at the bottom but lady luck obviously had other plans.

Nevertheless, Charles Zi Britannia has become a prisoner for eternity and that was enough to satisfy him. The colorful surroundings of C's world began melting away to darkness as the Shinkiro got ever closer to the bottom of the thought elevator.

It did not take a genius, something that Lelouch incontestably was, to figure out that an impact from this fall would result in the destruction of the Knightmare frame and its occupants. Lelouch opened his amethyst eyes and looked at C.C. who was still unconscious.

He knew that even if he were to perish, C.C. would live and hopefully float back up just as his father did. He wistfully hoped that she would neither mourn his death nor would she hold him in contempt because she will be trapped in this dimension.

The dark prince stroked her hair and whispered softly to no one in particular, "C.C. it seems as though I will not be able to grant your wish; your true wish. You will be trapped in here for all of eternity. I am sorry but this is necessary; the outside world has suffered enough due to the influence of Geass and the Code." He cupped her face and gently traced the sigil on her forehead. The raven haired boy pulled the immortal into his ephemeral embrace as he closed his eyes for the final time and thought back on his short life. He thought of the student council, of the Black Knights, of his mother, and of Nunnally. He thought of the future he could have had with C.C. if this had been another world, another existence.

Unbeknownst to him, this one idea would serve as the catalyst for what would follow next. The air surrounding the witch and the warlock crackled with energy. Their bodies glowed a multitude of colors and illuminated the dark abyss of C's world. The thought elevator reacted to the boy's fervent wishes, and right as the Shinkiro made a significant impact with the bottom of this desolate cavity, Lelouch and C.C. disappeared from this dimension.

.

.

.

Ned was dead. Her husband was decapitated by that filthy and vile "boy king" with no honor to show for it. She was widowed and her family was forever changed. Perhaps this was her fault, if only she had stopped him from becoming the Hand of the King then he would still be here. These were just some of the thoughts that were running through Catelyn Stark's mind as she made her way through Robb's camp. People around her bowed and offered condolences, but she paid no heed because Ned was dead.

She kept walking with supreme pride and a fake fortitude because Ned would have scolded her had she faltered. She made her way to the woods where banner men were walking in ceremonial clothing to mourn for her husband, but once again she paid no heed because he was still dead. Once out of everyone sights, the lady of House Stark fell to her knees. She is broken, clutching her heart, and shedding tears of pain and yet this does not bring Ned back to life. She closes her eyes and lets out a scream of grief even though she knows that not even her tears will bring him to comfort her.

On the brink of hyperventilation, the Lady of the Starks keeps screaming until her throat is ripe in agony and she loses her voice. "Because you are dead. because you are dead," She keeps whispering to herself. Her ears pick up the sound of swords, a sound she was all too familiar with. Catelyn picks herself up and makes her way to the origin of the sound only to find her eldest hacking away at a tree.

Grief rises up in her heart again and the strength in legs seem to escape her, but she suppresses it. She must be strong for her son; he needs her now.

"You've ruined your sword, Robb. Stop it now! Enough!" Her son looks up at her with the eyes of a boy defeated, all the kindness and pride that were once present are gone from them. She makes her way towards Robb and begins to comfort him; running her hand through his hair just as she had done many times when he was a child, she whispers words of encouragement in hopes that it would drown out his sorrowful sobbing.

"We will kill them all. Mother, we will kill them all." Robb mutters into her shoulder and Catelyn realizes that he is no longer a boy, but the leader of the Starks. "Yes, Robb we will kill them all."

Is this enough Ned? Is this the answer? If not then what is? She ponders these questions to herself as she closes her eyes and asks the seven gods to show her a path; a path that will obliterate those who brought this misfortune to her family, a path to bring forth justice, a path to salvation for the people of this realm, a path to a miracle.

Suddenly there is a flash of different colors in the woods. The air crackles with electricity and Robb looks to her mother with a startled expression. His countenance twists into a visage that reminds her of Ned, fierce and calculating. He picks up his sword and speeds away towards the direction of the light. Catelyn runs after him frantically screaming for him to wait. She realizes that Robb has never been this rash which causes her face to twist into an expression of worry. By the time she reaches her son he is kneeling on the ground with his sword sheathed away.

Looking over her eldest son's broad shoulders, the Lady of Stark identifies a boy whose skin is as fair as a lady, whose features befit a prince, and whose body is as thin as a rake, holding a beautiful woman in his arms with emerald colored hair. Both were unconscious with the boy dressed in a garment not typical of Westeros. The black clothes did not seem to affiliate him with any house. The women was dressed in an even stranger attire showing much skin, though it was still black just like the boy. Were they runaways? Yet their faces did not resemble those of slaves or prisoners, but rather those of lords and ladies respectively.

"They are alive mother, but unconscious. Please make haste and fetch some of my men so that we can carry them to our camp. I will stand guard here in case they wake up. Now go! Hurry!" Robb commanded with a strong authority in his deep voice and an even stronger passion in his dark eyes befitting those who are the Lords of House Starks; Catelyn knew it was useless to argue.

Just as she turned to go back to camp, the boy stirred from his slumber and slowly sat up in a calculated manner. This action was, predictably, met with Robb drawing his sword with a sharp sound that cut through the chilly Northern air.

The boy stood up with a particular grace and posture that was imbued with a distinguished self-confidence and an air of aloofness. He brought his right arm forward with a theatrical flair before opening his eyes and promptly covering the left one. The eyes pierced into her soul.

She froze and felt Robb stiffen to her left while her own knees seemed to tremble. The boy's iris were amethyst. Targaryen amethyst. Rhaegar Targaryen amethyst. Lady Stark was frozen not only because of the uncanny resemblance of the eyes to that man, but because of the sheer force and authority behind them. She felt insignificant in front of the boy's countenance in all its unadulterated majesty.

The boy's handsome face broke into a grin as his features seemed to become sharper and his eyes seemed to pierce her yet again. It was the grin of a predator, of a king, of an emperor, of an individual familiar with blood and pain.

Then he finally spoke, in the common tongue no less, "Now then!"

Lelouch Vi Britannia has arrived in Westeros, and he has come to change everything.

**A/N: Spacing issue fixed**


	2. Chapter 2 - The Power Unleashed

**Chapter 2: The Power Unleashed **

As the crisp, cool air stung at his skin, Lelouch stood there appraising the pair in front of him. He lightly adjusted the purple contact in his left eye that sealed the absolute power of his geass as his analytical mind raced to make sense of the situation.

Lelouch was sure that the only reason he was alive was simply because the thought elevator had listened to his subliminal messages and transported, to his infinite relief, both him and C.C. out of C's world. They were now instead placed into this strange new environment where a stern looking women and a disgruntled young man, who was wielding a decrepit sword, were accosting him.

"Who are you? Where did you two come from? How did you two enter the proximity of my camp without alerting the guards?" Robb Stark rained down these questions upon the oddly dressed boy in front of him while carefully pointing his sword at the intruder's throat and subtly studying his body language. "What house are you from boy?" Catelyn Stark further added to inquiry.

Lelouch narrowed his eyes and did not answer. He must first read the situation and then react accordingly. From the common facial structures and age differences, he guessed that the two people in front of him were mother and son. Perhaps aunt and nephew? Regardless, they were related and he was sure of that. The climate was another mystery. Japan had not been this cold when he had entered the other dimension. They could be on the other side of the world in either continental Britannia or the European Union region where it was freezing this time of year. No, that can't be right, the clothes of the two in front of him were obviously from antiquity and no individual carries a sword with him in this day and age unless there was a ceremonial motivation. This situation could mean only one of two possibilities: Lelouch and C.C. had either time-traveled into the distant past or the thought elevator had actually transported them into a new world as per his wish.

Should he simply use his geass and get this whole ordeal over with? Not yet, he can't afford to be rash right now. If this is another world where the code and the geass do not exist, then using his power might interfere with its natural laws. He should wait and discuss the matter with C.C. once she awakens. In the mean time, he must try to interfere as little as possible with the people of this world.

He dropped his right hand and let out a frustrated sigh while carefully constructing his answers for the questions. He flashed them a charismatic smile before beginning, "I am glad that you found us both! My name is Lelouch Lamperouge and I have come here to submit a request for your protection. The sleeping girl you see there is my partner and we are drifting travelers." He slowly knelt down to gently pick up C.C. in a bridal style with some struggle.

This witch has to definitely cut back on the pizza. Lelouch grunted out with difficulty, "We originally came here by boat, but our things were unfortunately stolen by thieves which led to us wondering these part of the woods for days now; can you offer us some shelter, food, and water? You said you have a camp right? We followed the smoke from your camp fires to get to where we are right now. My partner and I have not ate nor drank anything that's why we both fainted." Setting expectations for the man, who seemed to carry himself with pride, will make it easier for Lelouch to manipulate him. "As for your unwarranted concern regarding us being within the close proximities of your camp, allow me to just say 'You are welcome,' and that we deserve some type of reward. Taking care of us at your camp would be just compensation, don't you agree?" Lelouch vocalized this with the arrogance befitting a prince of Britannia.

Lady Stark was shocked. Regardless of the boy's majestic persona, no one spoke to the Lord of Winterfell and the King of the North in such a manner.

"Just compensation for what?" Countered Robb Stark. "For proving that your security is tepid, faulty, and lacking." Lelouch replied with a smirk, he knew what type of man this person was and he also knew exactly what he had to say to get him in the palm of his hands.

Robb relaxed his grip on the sword, but narrowed his eyes much like Lelouch. "That is not the answer I was looking for. If you came by boat then that means you must be from Essos; from across the narrow sea. I suppose that explains why I have never heard of "House Lamperouge." However, let me warn you, if you are lying to me then by the seven gods I swear that I will cut out your tongue and feed it to the wolves! Follow me."

Robb Stark did not trust the scrawny boy in front of him. But this person was poorly equipped with no weapon. His story also did not address the spark of lightning or colors that came from before. However, the code of honor that existed within House Stark demanded that anyone who asks for help should have help granted to that person, especially if he or she has done no wrong. He has plenty of time to interrogate the boy and his female partner later.

.

.

.

A frown appeared on Lelouch's face as he was led by the blunt man. He was not phased at all by the sword wielder's threat nor did Lelouch appreciate the way he spoke to him with a tone dripping with superiority, but he was, however, concerned with the idea of a place called Essos even existing. This only reinforced his theory that he and C.C. were in a totally different world. Speaking of C.C., why was the girl out for so long? Her code should allow her to wake up immediately. She was also his ticket out of this world and back to his rebellion since only an immortal can communicate with C's world. Her cheeks were red and her body was cold against his own. This made his frown even deeper before he redirected his gaze towards his temporary protector.

"Thank you, I appreciate it. Anyways, I don't think I caught either one of your names?" Lelouch questioned the man and woman who briefly stopped. In a dignified voice, the man proudly exclaimed, "My name is Robb Stark. This is my mother, you may refer to her as Lady Stark."

The lady in question eyed Lelouch yet again with her glance momentarily lingering on his eyes as if searching for some hidden answer before turning back around to follow her son. So were they nobility? Their dispositions seems to hint towards that deduction. Starks huh? It simply baffled Lelouch how, even after he fled his own world, aristocrats still found him.

Lelouch used this chance to get acquainted with the history of Westeros as reiterated by Robb Stark. It was almost pitiful to see how easily one could get information out of the "Young Wolf" as the eldest referred to himself. All Lelouch would do is challenge Robb's knowledge in a broad field, such as economics, and then the "King of the North" would ramble on with specific details that he had learned growing up all to satisfy his pride. Then Lelouch would challenge him on political ideology, and he would explain the different noble houses and how they conduct politics. Lelouch ate it all up until he saw Lady Stark give him a suspicious look. At this point he stopped asking questions and just mulled over the information he had received so far.

They kept walking briskly through the forest with only deafening silence to keep them company the rest of the way until they reached the entrance of, what Lelouch assumed to be, Robb's camp. He observed soldiers with fancy helmets, an obstacle he would have to overcome if he wanted to use his geass on them, rode on horses while trotting around and monitoring the proximity. So they are at war are they? With other noble houses perhaps? This would explain why he was so hostile earlier. "Would you like me to carry the young lady? You seem to not be faring very well." Upon hearing this Lelouch first snorted at C.C. being referred to as a "young lady" before promptly increasing his grip on her. "I would not strain the hospitality of the Starks by forcing my companion upon you. Don't worry, I am more then capable of carrying my companion." In all honesty, Lelouch's arms had reached their limits awhile ago, but he would be damned if he were to admit this to Robb Stark.

At this point Lady Stark pulled on Robb's fur coat before whispering something in his ears. Robb nodded and then called for one of his guards to erect another tent before bringing in food and drinks for the "lost duo" as he called them.

Inside the tent, Lelouch finally laid the witch down and gave his arm a brief respite. Sitting back into a chair he loosened his shirt collar and closed his eyes to briefly reflected on all that had happened thus far. This is when it hit him; what if his father had also escaped from C's world? If Lelouch could do it, then why couldn't Charles Zi Britannia?

If that dimension truly responds to anyone's thoughts, it would explain why his father had been arrogantly mocking him as he had fell into the cavity of the thought elevator. He had to get back to his world, Nunnally was in danger. There was no time to waste, he made his way to C.C. and shook her by the shoulder with a childish guilt rising up inside of him when he saw the peaceful, dreamy expression on her face slowly morph as she awoke from her slumber.

"C.C. this is no time for a nap! Wake up!" Slowly the the lime-headed beauty rose up before yawning and staring back at Lelouch. "Took you long enough. I didn't know that the sleeping princess was also a lazy sloth of a witch." He gave a satisfied smile and prepared himself for a witty retort, a retort that never came. A small whimper escaped her lips and she scooted away from him. Their eyes met and there was loneliness, pain, suffering, and fear. "C.C.? Are you okay?" Lelouch had never seen her face twisted into this type of expression; it was the countenance of an abandoned, scared girl; it lacked a single trace of the woman he had come to know and it scared him endlessly.

It was the face of the young C.C. he had seen in her memories, it was the slave girl of the past. Different possibilities ran through his head but none were as abysmal as the truth. "Are you my new master?" Lelouch's heart broke upon hearing this. "I can clean and help prepare food for cooking. I can also fetch water and tend cows and sew. I can read a little and count to twenty. I can even carry away corpses if you need that. Just please don't hit me hard."

Lelouch, eyes hidden by his raven hair, reached out and pulled her into a hug, "C.C. I will never hurt you, I promise." He must appraise the situation and then act accordingly. This is what he has been doing all along. So why now was his body moving without his consent? Why were his hands trembling in sadness? Why were his eyes moistening into C.C.'s shoulder? "Master? Are you okay?" He was not okay. He was alone in this world without a way of going back to his beloved sister and to his ongoing rebellion. He had lost his accomplice, and for once in Lelouch's life he was speechless.

Of course, this would not last long. "I can't waste away here! I have to get back!" C.C. grimaced at the tone of his voice. Glancing up at her face, he parted her bangs and noticed that the sigil was missing yet he remembered tracing the symbol while they had been hurling through C's world. So was that it? Had C.C. sealed her code of immortality away so that his Father could not take it? Did she really think that Lelouch was going to allow that to transpire? Lelouch scoffed and felt his pride deflate. "I will get you back C.C., I promise." He carefully cupped her face and touched his forehead to hers.

C.C., if that was even her name, was confused. Why was her master acting so gently with her? She had just met him and yet he had not hit her or abused her even once. Should she be happy or sad? C.C. was confused and her master was not helping.

His plan had been simply to wait until C.C. regained consciousness and then have her contact the world of C. From there she could have accessed the thought elevator and found a way to transport both of them back. All he had to do was be patient, but now it was not that easy, it is never that easy. This left him with only one option. They would both now have to protect themselves in this backward place until he found a way to recover C.C.'s memories. This will take longer then he hoped, and the only way to protect both of them in a world torn apart by war for an elongated period of time is if he had power. He needs power. Power to protect, power to destroy, and power to succeed in his ambition to recover C.C. which meant he would need an army. Lelouch let out a small chuckle, "Well then, let the games begin once again."

He will turn Robb's camp into a fortress, and strike down any king that comes his way until C.C. unlocks her code.

Shortly after, four guards came in and handed a few articles of clothing for him and C.C alongside some food and water, courtesy of Robb. Lelouch realized, that regardless of the hospitality that this camp was extending towards them, they were in reality prisoners of the Starks. As the guards were turning around to leave, Lelouch motioned for them to wait. He made his way around them in order to check outside; the coast was clear for what he was about to do. Desperate times called for desperate measures. Abandoning his prior plan to exercise caution, he stripped off the the contact in his left eye in one graceful motion and unleashed the power of the king into the new world, "Lelouch Vi Britannia commands you, all of you, to become my slaves!"

Luckily, the world did not explode due to the advent of an alien power infringing upon its natural laws. The effects of his order were absolute and instantaneous: the postures of the guards relaxed and their personal willpower was no longer theirs. "Yes! Your highness! What are your orders?"

"Well you see," Lelouch began with a smirk and a evil glint in his eyes, "It's like this…"

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Robb Starks gave out a long sigh. It had been long a day and night was beginning to fall. He was dissatisfied because the pair he had found before were a total enigma. He asked the various lords sitting in his war council but, as he feared, very few had information about the two couple. He send messenger ravens out but they proved to be fruitless as well. All in all, Essos was a large mystery to many people and its inhabitants as well. Trading occurred with the closer Free Cities repeatedly, but as one went farther East along the map, the less information one could find. He cannot waste his time with this, he had a bloody war to plan out! Yet his honor would not allow him to simply cast the two aside. What would Father do? Would he abandon them? Resting his head in his palm, Robb gave an order, "Lord Bolton, please go and escort the two guests here." Lord Bolton scurried off complaining about the fact that he was not some servant. Lady Starks approached Robb, "You know as well as I do that the boy is dangerous, don't you?" He gave a firm nod and called for two of his guards to stand by the entrance. He will have the couple grilled in front of his entire council and then decide if he is telling the truth or not. If there exists any reason to believe that Lelouch has any relation to the Targaryens apart from his vibrant irises, Robb will have to remove him from the picture permanently. He could not, and will not, risk yet another king appearing in this war.

After dressing in the garbs indirectly presented by Robb Starks, Lelouch felt instant gratification. The black armor was a bit restricting but the gold and purple surcoat provided adequate warmth. He turned to the discarded Ashford uniform and scrunched his nose at the sight of mud and dirt covering it.

Directing his gaze at C.C. he realized her attire, with a black blouse, a purple coat, and a golden skirt seemed to match his own perfectly; this Robb Stark character was far too munificent for his own good. This thought brought a smile to Lelouch's face, which in turn brought a faint smile to C.C.'s as well for she had been studying his expression closely. The lime-haired amnesiac girl, in all her curiosity, could not help but shyly ask, "Master, what else w-would um make you smile?" The question, frankly, caught the "master" off-guard and he flippantly replied, "Hmm… perhaps if you wore your blouse upside down and gave me a little dance?" He chuckled at his own jest only for his throat to hitch when C.C. began to actually strip. "Wait! C.C. that was only a joke!" His cheeks and ears burned in embarrassment as the girl fell to the floor with a pose that was _very _promiscuous. Unbelievable, even with a strong case of amnesia, C.C. still teased him like this. "I am sorry master! Please don't beat me hard again!" This statement brought Lelouch back to reality as he extended his hand for the witch to grasp. He slowly picked the broken girl up and fixed her blouse. Soothing her fears he added, "Like I told you before, I will not hurt you. You have my word."

Lord Bolton had been standing there watching the couple. That girl must be one of those slaves from the east he had heard about. He knew that over there, slavery was well practiced. Focusing back to the present, he noticed the pair seemed harmless enough and things were getting too sentimental for his tastes, therefore he exercised his supreme tact and interrupted them with a snide grin, "Should I come back later, foreigners?" C.C. felt her face flush but her "master" simply guided her behind him and replied in a cold, but forceful, voice,"Depends, who are you and why are you here?"

The boy's eyes were brilliant. Lady Stark had not been exaggerating when she had described them previously. "The King of the North requires an audience with the both of you. Hurry up and get a move on or I, Lord Bolton, will drag both of you by your pretty little faces to the central tent!" He hoped that his words covered up the lack of confidence he felt in his voice, but judging by the cool smile that graced the boy's lips, he was sure he failed.

Lelouch was content with this fortunate situation. He had expected Robb to send a well-pedigreed individual to fetch him, but he had never expected a lord. Lady luck was definitely bipolar, first throwing a wretch into his plans and then secretly helping him out. Dramatically, he reached for his left contact and uncaged the power of the kings, "What a shame Lord Bolton, I was hoping that you would indulge in a small request for me. It's nothing really difficult, all you have to do on my signal, which is when I tug on my surcoat, is _simply_ die. You can do that for me can't you?" Lelouch could not stop the smirk that graced his lips when he heard Lord Bolton's answer, "Yes! Your Majesty!" He briefly bowed as he said this to accentuate his loyalty.

Lelouch and C.C. followed the walking dead man towards the largest tent of the camp. As expected, the four guards who had fallen for his _charms_ earlier, were waiting in front of the war tent. Once the trio were only a few feet away, Lelouch snapped his fingers and the guards picked up on the action. Immediately, the guards began to slowly and subtly beat their spears into the ground at the same time. After a count of 120 beats, they were to follow their detailed instructions and his plan will be put into motion.

While Lelouch Vi Britannia grinned in anticipation, a single thought ran through his mind, "_Excellent, all tasks at hand have been cleared." _

**A/N:** **A special shout out to **_**Tau Warlord**_** for recommending the title of this fanfic. It's much better then anything I can come up with!**

**Since this is the first Code Geass x Game of Thrones Cross Over, I hope that it will inspire others to also try something similar!**

**The action in the story will pick up in later chapters, right now I just want to establish a solid foundation.**

**Please read, review, and repeat! Thanks again!**


	3. Chapter 3 - First Blood

**Chapter 3: First Blood**

Lelouch was not particularly enamored with the current situation, and judging by the way C.C. was cowering behind him, he could probably say the same for her. In front of him stood eight men, not including the Young Wolf. Most of them were balding and honestly needed a shower but, nevertheless, they stood with their chins held high and with a critical eye. It was obviously an attempt to intimidate him; Lelouch just honestly hoped that they weren't going to regale him with stories of past victories and glorious triumphs. After the long day he had to endure, god have mercy on them, because he might just geass them to shut up if they start to stroke their ego. Lelouch let a smile enter his face at that thought.

The tent itself was was very spacious and many maps lying around. A particularly interesting one had small chess-piece type of artifacts in the shape of lions, wolves, and stags on it. He quickly realized that it was a map used to plan out strategies and tactics for warfare. He memorized it and promised himself that he would analyze it later.

On the far left, fairly removed from the picture, Lady Stark was sitting down and giving him a look over.

Other then that, the entire setting was so boring that he began to mentally track the number of times the guards beat their spears into the ground outside, _"29, 30, 31, 32…"_

"I am glad to see that your companion is awake, Lelouch. My lady, what is your name?" Began Robb Stark in a genial effort to break the silence. This would prove to be in vain as C.C. ducked her head behind her master, earning a questioning look from the King in the North. "Her name is C.C. and she is not feeling very well, please excuse her behavior." Lelouch answered with a small sigh.

"I am very sorry to hear that. Anyways, you two have been called here for a hearing. I have already relayed your story to this War Council. We will now ask you some questions, and if we find that you are telling the truth, we will grant you a few days of refuge here in our camp. If you are lying however, I will follow through with the promise I made earlier regarding your tongue." Robb finished with a growl.

"Personally, I would much rather have a little fun with the foreign girl first before we skin them. I like them _exotic_." Added a hairy beast of a man who was nearly seven foot tall and heavily muscled. Usually, Lelouch would simply ignore such a boorish statement since C.C. was more than capable of defending herself. However, the way her grip shook and then tightened on his surcoat did not rest well with him.

He had planned to be as cooperative as possible until his plan was put into action, but he could not stop himself from sending the offender a cold glare before replying, "Oh do you now? Well, unfortunately my partner is not very interested in an uncultured ape like you." This earned a chuckle from a few of the men and Lady Stark herself.

The gigantic man reached for his sword but Robb cut him off. "Enough Lord Umber! They are still our guests! You mustn't insult them. Put away your sword, before I pull out mine!" The "ape" in question tentatively did so, but not before sending a small growl Lelouch's way which only caused the black prince to scoff.

"_47, 48, 49, 50…"_ Lelouch continued to count in his head as one of the more unexceptional looking of the men stepped up and opened a large map on the table.

"I am Lord Galbert Glover and I am also the Master of Deepwood Motte." He introduced himself as he motioned for Lelouch to come closer. "Can you tell me exactly where 'House Lamperouge' is located on this map?"

Lelouch absentmindedly pointed at one of the northern coastal areas on the continent marked "Essos" as his mind raced to memorize the contents of the map. The men in the room did not look very convinced so he began to elaborate further, "My father was a prominent merchant who dealt with fish." He explained.

"One day, when he went to survey a cargo on one of his many ships, he was ambushed and murdered." At this point, Lelouch forced a bit of sorrow into his voice. "When the other villagers found out, they attacked and pillaged my family. My mother gave up her life to save mine and I was able to get away. I ran to the docks where I was able to sneak on board of a cargo ship. From there, I sailed to here," Lelouch traced a line around the coast to the western most location labeled "Free Cities."

Why they were called that, Lelouch had no idea. But it sounded like a place that a rich runaway would attempt to escape to. He looked up from the map to study the others' body language. Some, including Robb, still seemed skeptical but Lord Golver and Lord Umber seemed convinced enough.

"And your partner? C.C. was it? How does she fit into all of this?" Lady Stark questioned.

"_81, 82, 83, 84…" _Lelouch mused to himself.

He cursed his lack of a body of common knowledge for this world. There was still so much time left; how should he explain this? Usually he was very good at lying, but the scarce amount of information on Westeros and Essos made it difficult. He ran a few possibilities through his head before answering. "I met her in the Free Cities my lady," Lelouch gestured toward C.C. before continuing, "She was trapped there with her own personal problems and I just couldn't abandon her because we had grown… close." He had spoken confidently, established eye contact, and kept an open body language; hopefully these people had believed him.

"_89, 90, 91…" _There was only approximately twenty-five seconds left.

"The boy speaks the truth." To Lelouch's infinite comfort, the crass man from before came to his rescue; this almost made him regret the fact that the man would be dead soon. _Almost._

Lord Bolton continued, "When I went to fetch the pair before, the girl had called him 'Master.' It would make sense for a slave girl trapped in that place, with no where to go, to want to escape."

"Exactly, it is as Lord Bolton says, from there we were able to sneak on board another cargo ship and now we are finally here; I believe that _his grace _has filled everyone in on what happened afterwards." Lelouch then looked around the room, everyone was quiet and muttering among themselves. His persuasive powers were working, now all they needed was one little push.

A push that would come in, _"102, 103, 104…" _Only sixteen more seconds. Lelouch prepared himself by moving closer to Lady Stark.

Robb was worried. Lelouch did not seemed to be lying about his past but the biggest question still needed to be tackled. Was he or was he not related to the Mad King? But what he did not know was how to propose the question without alerting Lelouch of the possible implications. Lelouch was shrewd, he must be careful. If he is truly from eastern Essos, he most likely does not know who the Targaryens were. On the off chance that he did know, would he lie? If he did lie, then what words would he choose? The formation of the question was of grave importance; ever the tactician, he wasn't willing rush it.

"Alright that's enough mucking around from the lot of you! We don't really give a damn where the hell you or your whore came from! Just tell me pretty boy, are you related to those bloody Targaryens?" Robb Stark buried his face in his palm as some of the others squirmed where they stood upon hearing Lord Rickard Karstark's blatant question.

However, Lelouch did not get an opportunity to answer the gaunt, long bearded man's query. Right on cue, three guards came charging into the tent, wielding long spears, and yelled, "By my Lord's orders, death to the Starks!" One of them darted towards Lady Stark, brandishing his spear in front of him. The other two went after Robb in a similar manner. Shock was evident in everyone's faces as they drew their swords and, predictably, all of them went to protect the King in the North. When a crisis occurs, the King's life is paramount; this was the truth evident in both chess and life. No matter how trained they were, they were all still human. This was the secret to all conflicts.

Robb's eyes widened, "Mother! No!"

Lelouch yanked the pale-faced Lady Stark to the ground by her arm and bravely stepped in front of her. This increased the shock factor ten-fold, but he knew that he was not in any real danger since the attacker was ordered to just graze him if he even gets close enough. Just as Lelouch was about to be "skewered," a fourth guard entered the tent and hurled his spear at the offender; the direct hit killed the charging guard on the spot by going through his neck. Some blood splashed on Lelouch's face, but other then that he was not harmed since the attacker had not been close enough. The other two guards were quickly disposed of by the Lords, who gruesomely beheaded them on the spot.

Robb rushed over to his mother and embraced her while being on the verge of tears. "Mother you are not hurt are you?" Lady Stark, still clearly speechless from the shock, shook her head. "Mother, I am sorry. You should never have had to see that. If something would have happened to you, especially this soon after what happened to father, I would… I would… I don't know what I would do." His mother hugged him back and patted his head. The lords looked on awkwardly at the mother and son moment. Lelouch himself couldn't help but think of Marianne.

C.C. quickly raced over with tears in her own eyes and began to wipe the blood of Lelouch's face. "Master! Master are you hurt?" He gave her a gentle smile and pulled her in for a hug. "I am fine C.C., everything will be okay."

Robb then finally stood up and addressed Lelouch. "I am eternally grateful to you. You courageously stepped in and shielded my mother. Ask me for anything, and if it is in my power, I will have it granted. I swear by the honor of House Stark."

Lelouch let go of C.C. before resting his right hand on the Young Wolf's shoulder, softening his eyes, and then speaking, "You don't have to give me anything… your grace. I told you what happened to my mother didn't I?" Upon Lelouch alluding to his earlier fabricated story, a sad frown appeared on Robb's face.

"I wouldn't want anyone to experience the same pain that I did. I consider you my friend _your grace_." If possible, Robb's frown only became deeper.

"Lelouch, I am sorry for not putting my faith in you before. I believe your words now and I am sorry for the loss of your parents. You and your partner may stay with us for as long as necessary. I will find you a suitable occupation in our camp. In the future, you and your decedents can always count on the Starks for assistance." Robb then turned to the guard from earlier who was patiently awaiting orders; his eyes were still glazed over due to geass. "Go and put everyone on high-alert. There may be more turncoats among us." After Lelouch gave a discreet nod, the guard scurried away.

"_Everything had gone to plan. Now for phase two, time to plant some seeds of doubt."_ Lelouch mentally congratulated himself.

A long haired and hook nosed man wearing a bright yellow and inlaid armor within an elaborate vine-and-leaf patterned coat addressed Robb, "Your grace, there's another important matter we have to discuss. When those heathens charged in, they mentioned something about a 'Lord.' As far as I know, very few of our banner-men have ever had any contact with high standing members of the Lannisters and Baratheons. I also don't think that this is something Stannis would do. This only leads to one conclusion."

As Robb intensely stared at the eight lords gathered in the tent, Lelouch broke out into a small smile as he thought to himself, "_That's correct Robb, doubt your advisors. This will only make you turn to me even more, as I will be the one person that you know for sure you can trust." _

"Lord Blackwood is correct. One of you is responsible for almost killing my mother. Unveil yourself now and I personally assure you that your death will be quick." Growled Robb. Everyone froze and stared at each other. "Who was it? Confess now or I will have my dire wolf rip you into shreds when I find out who is behind this myself!"

Lord Blackwood let another few minuets of this silent struggle go by before speaking up, "You had gathered us all here on a short notice, your grace, but it was not until we actually arrived that we learned that we would all have to stay for an extended amount of time to question Lelouch. The mastermind behind this act must have conducted his plan right after learning of this fact and the only person who left this tent was…"

Lelouch Lamperouge had done it again. He let a smirk grace his face as everyone turned to Lord Bolton. Robb drew his sword as Lord Umber punched the innocent man in the face, breaking some teeth and drawing blood.

"Wait! It wasn't me! Allow me to explain myself!" Pleaded Lord Bolton.

"Then explain! Explain why you betrayed me!" Robb snarled as he slashed through the victims arm and took it clean off. Lord Bolton gave a cry of pain but the Young Wolf did not even flinch and continued, "Explain!"

Lelouch had seen enough. He made his way to where Robb stood and then gave his own surcoat an exaggerated tug.

Lord Bolton immediately became numb to the pain. His eyes glazed over as he drew his own sword which, predictably, resulted in everyone else drawing theirs. However, their worries were misplaced as Lord Bolton impaled his weapon into his throat, his eyes rolled to the back of his head and a quiet, "Yes your majesty," escaped his lips. A moment of silence passed among everyone.

"Then that settles it. The poor bastard was a traitor." Accused Lord Karstark and then promptly spit on the dead body.

"Robb, may C.C. and I be excused? I am sorry, but this day has taken quite a toll on us." Lied Lelouch smoothly. Now that the drama was over, he did not want the earlier question about the "Targaryens" to resurface because he honestly had no idea what the hell that even was.

Robb Stark slowly slumped himself into a nearby chair and rested his head on his palm before replying, "Yes Lelouch, you may leave, I still have some things to discuss with you tomorrow morning."

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As Lelouch and C.C. were just about to step out, Lord Karstark bellowed, to Lelouch's annoyance, "What about his eyes Robb? Question him to see if he is a bloody-" Robb cut him off. "No! He has proven his loyalty by what he did today. At this point, it doesn't matter what house he is related to, I am forever in his debt. My father would have done the same. Lelouch, once again, thank you… my friend."

"Yes, I agree. Thank you Lelouch, you saved my life." Lady Stark added with a rare smile as a token of gratitude.

Lelouch flashed them a charismatic smile before grabbing C.C. by her hand and then quickly heading out into the night just in case Robb changed his mind.

As the couple exited outside into the cold and arid weather, Lelouch let out a sigh of relief. There were very view people walking around. Anyways, his plan had worked. It had been an extremely sloppy and reckless idea due to the time restraints, but nevertheless it had still worked. He had successfully gained the trust and admiration of the others without resorting to using his geass on all of them. The plan that he used today was the same as the one that Lelouch had used to coerce Rolo onto his side.

Earlier in the day, he had previously toyed around with the idea of simply using the power of the kings on everyone important, once they brought him in for an inevitable interrogation, but he had quickly dismissed it. As effective and tempting as using geass might be, a few negative reasons made him averse to it. For one thing, he remembered what C.C. had said about his geass becoming increasingly powerful whenever he used it. Lelouch lightly adjusted his left contact; it was the only thing holding his power back. He could feel the geass sizzling behind his finger. If this weapon expanded to both of his eyes and contacts couldn't curb its power, what would he do then? Walk around with his eyes closed and effectively blind? He couldn't risk another disaster like Euphemia occurring in this world. To top it all of, an amnesic C.C. could not help him if this type of scenario ever transpired. He had to treat geass as a short-term safety mechanism.

When they finally reached their little tent, which he disdainfully almost referred to as home, Lelouch took off his surcoat, followed by his armor, and wrapped himself in a regular woolen blanket before slouching into his straw bed to continue his musings.

If he had used his power on Robb to make him his slave, there's a chance that he would have been forced to also issue this command on everyone present at that War Council, including Lady Stark. That would be ten people right there. It was the only way to totally avoid suspicion which could be the catalyst for a midnight assassination attempt. Afterwards, he might have had to use geass on some of the smarter men in the Stark army if they began to notice that their commanders were acting abnormally.

Then, lets say that hypothetically he and C.C. returned to their world shortly after and he did not have to geass anyone else in Westeros except the people in this camp; they would all effectively be mindless slaves. What would Robb and the others do without Lelouch there to issue more orders? They, and all the people who depend on them, would be lost.

These reasons forced Lelouch to forgo the idea of using geass and instead to rely on his intellect. The more he refelcted, the more he realized that he had made the correct decision. He would only use geass as a last ditch effort when his persuasive skills failed him in this world.

C.C. must have noticed that Lelouch was deep in thought and tentatively asked, "Master is everything alright? It seems like something is troubling you." He couldn't help but chuckle to himself. This slave minded C.C. had vocalized her concern for his health more times in one day then the regular sarcastic witch had ever done since she had met him. Regardless he missed the witch. Perhaps if he talked to her like he used to, it would jog her memory a bit?

He pulled C.C. closer and had her sit next to him which, to his surprise, made her blush. "No C.C. everything isn't alright. There's actually something troubling me."

She looked at him with a serious face and he had to stifle a laugh since he usually only saw her make a face like that when she was off trying to protect him, carrying out Black Knight duties, or negotiating for more pizza. "What can I do master?"

"Well for one thing, you can stop calling me 'master.' It's Lelouch." He said. "Okay Master L-L-Lelouch." She replied a bit hesitantly. "No C.C.! Not 'master,' just Lelouch," He corrected her, "Understand?"

She tilted her head to one side before rolling his name sweetly of her tongue as per his request, "Lelouch?" The sight made him experience a surge of nostalgia. This was the first time that she had called him by his name in this world, and even though it had only been a day, it felt like a lifetime.

"Lelouch. Lelouch. Lelouch." C.C. repeated it a few times. "When I say your name, I get this strange feeling like I am forgetting something. Is that normal Ma… I mean, Lelouch?" She questioned with a hand clutched over her heart.

He gave her a warm smile before answering, "It is perfectly normal C.C., if you have really forgotten something then I will help you remember. Now come on, let's go to sleep. It's been a long day today and tomorrow is likely to be the same." Lelouch scooted over but was surprised when he observed C.C. lay down on the cold and hard ground.

"What are you doing? Come sleep next to me C.C., there is enough space. Besides, the ground is no place for a lady." The irony of Lelouch's proposal did not escape him. Usually he would be kicking C.C. off his bed and yet here he was, inviting the witch to sleep next to him.

As C.C. quietly crawled onto the space next to him, their bodies brushed together and he couldn't help suppress a grin when he acutely saw, even in this darkness, her face blush bright red. When she gets her memory back, he will definitely bring this up when she tries teasing him again. Lets see how the witch likes it when she's on the other side of the stick.

Lelouch closed his eyes and began to plan out his actions for tomorrow. He had finally established himself in this world, now he needed to capitalize on it. First, he will have to gather knowledge about Westeros and Essos. He can't afford to be ignorant of this world any longer; since there's a good chance he will be here for awhile. Next, since he already has Robb's trust, he will need to gain his respect by helping him with the war. And then…

"Are you having a hard time sleeping?" C.C. interrupted his scheming. Lelouch propped his head up on his hand.

"How about you?" He countered back playfully. He saw the edges of her lips tug in annoyance as she answered, "This bed is a little bit uncomfortable." He inclined his head in agreement and let out a laugh. It was true, the bed was very itchy.

Then Lelouch had an idea. "How about I tell you a story? I have a little sister named Nunnally and a bed time story usually puts her right to sleep."

"Oh yes I would like that very much!" She cheerily replied as she closed her eyes again.

"It's a story about a witch and a warlock and it goes something like this…" Lelouch began to recount their tales together. C.C. paid great attention and was greatly amused at Lelouch's hand movements and voice acting as he narrated their journey. She slowly started to drift into sleep at the Black Rebellion part and then soon, C.C. was fast asleep as her chest slowly rose and fell. Lelouch pulled his partner closer to himself, gave a small yawn, shut his tired eyes, made a few mental notes, and then finally dreamt. He dreamt of his rebellion, little Euphy, Suzaku, Kallen, Shirley, the student council, C.C., and dearest Nunnally.

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"Lelouch wake up!" He immediately sat up to an explosive voice. The sunlight slightly blinded him and he couldn't guess who the hell was talking. "Rivalz is that you?" Lelouch rubbed his eyes and asked with a yawn. Then it all came back to him. Westeros. Essos. Starks. Which meant that the voice belonged to… crap!

Lelouch looked up to see Robb trying to avert his eyes. Why was he being so shy? He looked down and immediately got his answer much to his embarrassment. Some time in the middle of the night, C.C. had ended up switching her whole body's position around. Her head was on his thigh where a little line of drool was running down her open mouth and her legs were near his head with one of them wrapped around his chest. Her clothes were a mess and her skirt was riding up way too high. This damned, promiscuous, indecent sloth of a witch…

He covered his left eye and roughly pushed C.C.'s legs away before trying to explain himself in a comical fashion, "Wait! This is a total misunderstanding! We weren't-" This was the perfect example of laser guided karma extracting revenge for what he had done to Lord Bolton yesterday.

Robb cut him off. "It's okay I don't care. There is someone I want you to meet Lelouch."

The atmosphere had become serious. He immediately got out of bed and began dressing himself and then easily slipped on the proverbial mask of the cold-blooded and calculating Lelouch Vi Britannia. He put on his contact lens before asking, "Who is it?" He had his guesses. Most likely a foreign diplomat or noble. Was it maybe someone from Essos?

"I want you to meet one of our prisoners. He is known as the Kingslayer. His name is Jaime Lannister." Robb explained with hatred painfully evident in his eyes.

A Lannister huh? Another prominent noble house probably. _Excellent._

Lelouch shook C.C. awake and pulled on his surcoat while giving that same vicious grin coupled with an icy stare that previously send shivers down Robb's spine. "Well then, lead the way y_our grace_."

He took a step and his coat dramatically flapped around him like a ghost.

A certain glint entered his eye as Lelouch mused to himself,_ "Let the games begin."_

**A/N****: I want to give a huge thanks to the people who wrote a review. It's pretty motivational to have people compliment your work, especially when it's your first. **

**Some of you have voiced concerns that it will be easy for Lelouch to win the game with his geass. Hopefully, this chapter alleviated your fears a bit.**

**Others expressed discomfort over C.C. having amnesia. Don't worry, she will be back as the witty witch we all love **_**very **_**soon.**

**Anyways, the next chapter will probably be the final boring one. After Chapter 4, Lelouch will be a full-fledged participant in the politics and war surrounding the Game of Thrones. Look forward to that!**

**Anyways, read, review, and repeat!**

**Thanks,**

**TheNewCatch24**


	4. Chapter 4 - Into the Young Lion's Den

**Chapter 4: Into the Young Lion's Den**

Lelouch pulled his purple and gold themed coat closer around himself to curb the chilly, morning air that was biting at his skin. Gracefully walking behind Robb, he surveyed his current surroundings, and acutely noted the various soldiers and workers crawling around the camp with distinct jubilation. A recent military victory perhaps? He studied the lay-out around him as they continued the long walk in silence and came to the conclusion that the Starks were fairly organized.

Different buildings were either labeled accordingly or color coordinated. Lelouch could make out wooden watch towers in the distance. Every sixty or so feet, there were mini-barracks and medic chambers were located to it's immediate right or left. Small armories seemed to pop up in a skipping pattern after every eighty to a hundred feet and soldiers were sparring in-between various enacting points. He briefly remembered entering the heavily decorated parameters of the camp yesterday, and factoring in his observations, he guessed that the camp must be at least two and half acres in length. With the number of soldiers he had seen, coupled with his previous assumptions, this had to be a two legion, rectangularly linear military camp with twelve thousand men. Even-numbered legioned camps usually, on a strategic level, are caused by taking a whole land army and dividing it into a larger-smaller ratio for future tactical accommodations. Conventional logistics would say that the Starks had another, smaller militarized location with four thousand to five thousand more men. This was not guaranteed but Lelouch could estimate that the Starks commanded a force ranging from twelve thousands to seventeen thousand.

Was an army of this size small or large compared to the forces of Robb's enemies? Lelouch clicked his tongue in disapproval as he realized, for the umpteenth time, how short he was on information and vowed to remedy this problem after the upcoming meeting with Jaime Lannister.

"He's a dastardly bastard." Robb's sudden and harsh comment broke Lelouch's musings. "I am not sure how much you know of him, since you're not from around these parts, but you best be careful. He's a part of the King's Guard yet he killed the Mad King. He sins by mounting his sister, that devilish Queen Regent, Cersei Lannister, and doesn't possess a damn shred of decency or honor. He nearly murdered my younger brother, and he's one of the reasons for my father's death. I would tear him apart, limb for bloody limb, before sending his severed head to his equally vile father, and his_ other _severed 'head' to his sister. Then I would feed the rest of him to Grey Wind. But the Lannisters are holding my sisters as political hostages; this means I can't harm him… _not_ _yet._" That last part he spat out with so much animosity that Lelouch had to raise an eyebrow.

Up ahead, Lelouch finally saw the destination of their long walk: a lone prisoner cage with ample guards surrounding it.

"Robb, I mean _your grace,_ if I may ask-" Began Lelouch before he was abruptly waved off by the Young Wolf, "It's fine, you don't have to keep addressing me as 'your grace' when we are not in a formal setting. It also sounds very strange when you say it. I consider you my friend, so you can call me by my name when we are alone." This brought a genuine smile to Lelouch's countenance. Even though Robb put on airs of a ruthless and arrogant Lord, he was actually very kind hearted, "But you should still not forget your place." Though maybe he was still a tad bit too prideful.

Lelouch silently rolled his eyes before continuing, "As I was saying, _Robb_, why am I accompanying you to interrogate this prisoner? This person you obviously hate so much?" Lelouch questioned.

Robb came to a prompt halt, turned around to look at his scrawny new friend, and then answered the question with his own, "Why don't you tell me Lelouch?" He saw a contemplative look dawn on the raven haired boy's face that was gone in less then a second. His question was two-fold. He honestly wanted to hear the young foreigner's thoughts and this also gave him another chance to judge the boy's analytical mind.

"Because the members of your War Council made you. Either Lord Karstark or Lord Umber put you up to it because they wanted to see if I am a spy. Seeing me with you might get a reaction from the high-class prisoner Jaime Lannister who also, I presume, happens to be a nobleman and part of the very house you fight against. You also promised me an occupation and wish to factor in my analytical abilities before you give me one. It's also a convenient way to show that you trust me and that you regret doubting me yesterday. You are an opportunist for using the doubt of Lord Umber and Lord Karstark to your own advantage. If this tendency translates into the battlegrounds, coupled with the clear organizational skill evident in the structure of your camp, it would serve as a good foundation for tactical abilities. Did I miss anything _your grace_?" Lelouch added the last part with a playful grin which caused Robb to chuckle.

"It only took you a second to come up with that? I was right, you are smart and also very shrewd Lelouch. I am truly glad to have you at my side." Robb then turned once again and they continued their walk.

Lelouch wondered if that was a genuine compliment. He only answered Robb's question in that fashion to see if he would feel threatened by Lelouch's intelligence. He quickened his pace so that he could now walk alongside the King in the North, rather then behind him. "Though I hope that in the future, if you ever wish to test me again, you will do so over a game of chess."

"What's chess?" Robb asked with sincere curiosity. Suddenly Lelouch's easy gait came to a hard stop as an incredulous look infringed on his usually calm and collected visage. What could he be thinking? It must be a subject of grave importance.

Unbeknownst to Robb, the 'important' matter in question was actually very comical. Lelouch's train of thought were more along the lines of this: _There is no such thing as chess in Westeros? How the hell am I supposed to alleviate my stress? How am I supposed to entertain myself? Crap! Damn it all! If I can't practice, then Schneizel will leave me in the dust… again! There is no way I am going to lose to him like eight years ago! This is a dire problem; a catastrophe by all accounts_.

In that moment Lelouch hilariously vowed to himself that, if nothing else, he will at least introduce his favorite game to this world.

"Don't worry Robb, you will know soon enough." Lelouch finally answered as Robb waved the guards in front of Jaime's prison away. The pair straightened their postures and then slowly walked in with confident strides.

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"Well, well, what a pleasant surprise. King in the North! You know what? I expected you to lock me up in some dark dungeon in a random castle after our little squabble. Yet you drag me from camp to camp. Have you grown fond of me? Is that it? Are you into bound men like me? Hey, I've never seen you with a girl," The prisoner then glanced towards Lelouch before continuing with the snide comment, "And that pretty boy next to you is really not helping your case."

The "pretty boy" in question narrowed his eyes and took in the man's appearance. This was Jaime Lannister then? The man had disheveled, platinum blonde hair with bright emerald eyes, and most likely a handsome face had it not been covered in dirt. His beard was grown out and gave him an aged look while his chained hands, feet, and neck had mud on them. Lelouch once again looked at his eyes before shaking his head at an abysmal thought; they looked like Suzaku's.

Robb's retort snapped Lelouch out of his daydreaming, "You already know why Kingslayer. If I left you with one of my banner-man then either Petyr Baelish or Varys would be right on top of it. Then, before the fortnight, a raven with a message from your father would come flying in through the castle. 'Release my son,' it would say, 'And you will be rich beyond your dreams. Refuse and your entire House will be destroyed from the root stem,' am I wrong?"

Jaime gave a sarcastic look at that and then said, "You don't trust the loyalty of the men following you to battle?"

"I trust them with my life. I just don't trust them with your life, Lannister."

Jaime was impressed. Seems that the Young Wolf could play politics. He gave a laugh, "Smart boy eh?" Robb's face darkened at the condescending tone of the prisoner. "What's wrong? You don't like being called boy? _Insulted_ are you?"

Robb gave a quiet whistle and motioned Lelouch to come closer to him. "Wrong, you insulted yourself Kingslayer. You've been defeated by a boy. You've been held captive by a boy. Maybe now, you will be killed by a boy."

Lelouch, who had been observing the exchange with great amusement felt his mouth go dry as he saw what entered the cage: a large wolf with smoke grey fur and yellow eyes. Actually, large was an understatement. It must have been as big as Nunnaly's pony from the Aries Villa! Now Robb's title of "Young Wolf" had a new, fearsome connotation to it in the awestruck prince's mind. Lelouch then quickly regained his composure and continued to monitor the exchange.

"Renly and Stannis Baratheon lay claim to the Iron Throne. King Joffrey Baratheon is actually King Joffrey Lannister, isn't he? He's your bastard. My father knew the truth. He died for it, and my brother almost suffered the same faith." Robb began to pat the wolf's head.

Jaime looked the other way and scoffed, "Oh please, you don't honestly believe that? That would be too convenient for Renly and Stannis." Lelouch knew he was lying, it was painfully obvious. "You have no proof of these false accusations. Now, can we stop spreading rumors like a bunch of fish wives and talk like noblemen?"

"Listen to me Kingslayer! I am sending one of your cousins down to Kings Landing with my peace terms."

"My father will never listen. Negotiation? Ha! You don't know him very well huh? Remember something, three victories don't make you a conqueror." Chortled Jaime.

The tension in the air was palpable.

Robb smirked and pridefully claimed, "No, I don't. But he's starting to know me. By the way, three victories are better then three defeats." The "Young Wolf" released the dire-wolf who growled and then pounced forward only to stop an inch away from the prisoner's face. Jaime closed his eyes in fear of the possibility of turning literally into mince meat, but still kept his face relatively calm. Only to reopen them and find the wolf gone. The King in the North now stood outside with his arms across his chest and his back to Lelouch and Jaime, the only two inside the cage.

Jaime's breath hitched as he saw the violet eyes peering back at him, slowly edging away into his soul. It was the color of the Mad King's eyes. Now it was Jaime's turn to shake his head. No this boy can't be a Targaryen. It was impossible because they were all dead. His hair was darker then the night sky, not silver like that accursed family and Rhaegar. There were people from Essos and the Free Cities who looked similar. Yet the way that the boy stood made him seem like royalty. "Who are you?"

"A Targaryen." Jaime's eyes widened in shock and he dropped his mouth as his breathing became quicker. This even caused Robb to turn around in a hurry. "You are lying! Liar! They are all dead! Who are you? Who are you huh? Tell me!" Jaime futilely struggled against the chains.

Lelouch smirked, walked closer, knelt down on one knee, and looked into the terrified man's bewildered eyes. The conversation between Jaime and Robb had confirmed his suspicions while this reaction was the icing on the cake: the Mad King had been a Targareyn. It was quite likely that this family was the royal family of Westeros just as the "Britannia family" was the royal family of his world's empire. They also must all possess purple irises. This was why the Starks and their banner-men had suspected Lelouch in the beginning. It all made sense now. He had his suspicions ever since Karstark had made his comments yesterday. They did not want yet another noble family, especially one that ruled for an elongated period of time, laying claim to the throne just as these Baratheons were doing. Lelouch was gaining an idea of the politics of Westeros.

The black prince's smirk turned feral, "I speak the truth, _Kingslayer;_ you killed my uncle. You are no different then the mud stuck to your clothes. Useless, dirty, and disgusting. A disloyal servant who should be punished." Lelouch had no idea how old this previous king must have been, but calling him uncle was a safe bet given the median age of the people he had met so far.

By now Robb had rushed back inside the prison and was equally confused. Was Lelouch lying? If so, then he was pretty damn good at it! He didn't know what to believe. Not even his Dire-wolf, Grey Wind, had been as effective as Lelouch's few simple words had been. The raven haired boy now motioned Robb to come closer and then took his sword. He stood over Jaime and aimed the blade at the poor man's neck while viciously smirking. Robb didn't know why he had relinquished his sword or why he wasn't stopping him. He was just in a daze at the future possibilities due to these turn of events, only if they were true of course. However, he suspected that Lelouch wouldn't do anything rash; the foreigner was too smart for that.

Jaime was shaking, almost to the point of hyperventilation. The memories of serving Aerys II came rushing back as he remembered how the king went from the epitome of decency to madness. Memories of him betraying his knightly oath in order to bring justice to the Mad King only to be forever haunted by the words of even the common man referring to him as the 'Kingslayer.' Memories of always wanting to be known as a honorable knight and how his personal legacy had been tarnished. Memories of that filthy wolf who was keeping him captive and was judging him; by what right did a wolf judge a lion? It was preposterous. "I had to kill him! It was justice! All of you should kiss my feet for ending that war!"

"Justice? It was betrayal. You are not a noble knight, but only an overly-glorified meat shield." Jaime choked as he was reminded of Tywin.

"That's your purpose as a bodyguard. Trust me, I've had plenty of experience with over-glorified hypocrites like you." Images of Suzaku and Gino currently obeying his father, the Emperor of Britannia, rapidly crossed through Lelouch's mind.

"Say, you fancy justice right? In that case let me show it to you." Lelouch raised his sword high into the air with a dramatic flair, "Jaime Lannister, those who kill should be prepared to _be killed_!" The sword swung down swiftly as the Kingslayer shut his eyes. Seconds passed by, but it felt like hours as he opened his eyes again only to find the boy standing there with a triumphant look and the sword re-sheathed by Robb.

"Apologies Jaime Lannister, that was just a joke. My name is Lelouch Lamperouge, and the pleasure is all mine." Lelouch arrogantly bowed to the shocked man.

"…You bastard!" Jaime turned red in the face. He was a Laninister, born in Casterly Rock, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard; yet he had embarrassed himself in front of this egoistical boy.

"Oh? Is that the Lannister's catch phrase or something? Lets not be difficult now."

Jaime sighed, "My first impression of you is not very good boy."

The man's smug attitude had come back. "In that case I hope that, for your sake, you cooperate with us in the foreseeable future, otherwise you will not have enough time to form a second opinion of me and your first will serve as my lasting impression." Lelouch countered without missing a beat. The boy smiled while smothering a chuckle at the prisoner's ashen face.

"Robb I have something I want to talk to you about." Lelouch turned toward the Lord of Winterfell now with a serious face and a frown tugging at his lips. Robb perked up and was all ears when the boy spoke, "Prisoners are great and can be used for political exchanges and blackmail. However, keeping them for too long is dangerous. They are a deprecating asset at best, and right now he is ripe for usage. You have to capitalize on him."

"What am I? A fruit?" Jaime mindlessly commented.

Robb rubbed his temples and challenged Lelouch, "How do we put him to use? They have my sisters and a prisoner exchange is too difficult. My mother also won't allow me to take risky moves."

"Robb Stark perhaps has to obey his mother, but King Stark doesn't. A king does that which is right and just!"

"There is nothing I can do right now other then discuss peace terms!"

"That's where you are wrong. You have to gamble in warfare! Compete, fight, take control, then win. There are ways to use him if you just deliberate a bit. Here's one way: you can turn him into bait in order to control the enemy's movement in the field. Maneuvering is an important aspect in setting up and guarding against attacks. For example, in the next appropriate battle, have the Lannister accompany you. Let the enemy see him. Then draw back and this will cause them to follow you, if they truly value his life, and they might fall right into an ambush from two opposite flanks. You have three legions correct? With a total of sixteen thousand men?"

Robb gasped, "How could you possibly-"

Lelouch put a hand on the Young Wolf's shoulder, "I am well experienced in the art of war. I've seen many battles. The size of your camp and other observations led me to this conclusion. By the way, you captured this man by dividing up your forces didn't you? The Lannisters likely have more men and you tricked them by sending a few to death as a diversion while you took out Jaime's army in a preemptive and surprise attack." Lelouch motioned towards the defeated prisoner.

"At least that's what I assume you did judging by the battle plans I saw on the map yesterday, in the War Council tent, when you called C.C. and me in for questioning. It is a fairly standard tactic, the enemy must underestimate you for falling for it. I am not inexperienced, and you can trust me."

A moment of silence passed between them as Jaime stared on with an expressionless look even though he was burning up on the inside. This boy, Lelouch, was dangerous.

Finally Robb turned and walked out of the prison. Without looking back he muttered out, "I'll think about it and discuss it with my War Council." Then he stared over his shoulder with a satisfied smile.

"Lelouch I have decided on your occupation. You have my trust and my respect. I want you to be one of my advisors; look over my strategic meetings and plans so that we can defeat the Lannisters together. Of course I will need to test you, but if you really figured out my bloody agenda with such limited information and time, then you will be fine. Though I warn you, there is a chance you might have to lead troops into the field."

With that the King in the North began to briskly walk back towards the main section of the camp without checking if the boy was following him.

Lelouch stood there for a few moments before also walking out and mutely gesturing towards the returning guards to lock the cage door.

"You are not from here are you, Lelouch? Free me and I'll make you rich! Why do you give even give a single dusty shit about the Starks? Why are you interfering with Westeros politics?" Jaime inquired.

Lelouch paused and turned around, he had a face that seemed different from before. It was not as kind and yet it seemed much more real. The bright background behind him seemed to fade as his confident posture outshone everything else. His eyes were contrastly dark and he looked down at him with a type of superiority that he had not seen in others. He seemed like a king.

"Because the end justifies the means, Jaime Lannister." Lelouch then eyed the hostage's breastplate where the sigil of a lion could be seen.

The prisoner raised an eyebrow. "Are you counseling me for what I did to the Mad King? What you just said isn't very honorable you know. Wolf boy wouldn't like it."

Lelouch looked into his eyes before answering, "A lion doesn't, and shouldn't, concern himself with the opinion of a sheep." He then gracefully turned around and walked away leaving a dumbfounded Jaime in the dirt.

Flashbacks of Tywin occurred, and then,"…What the fuck?" The young lion said.

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Once again Lelouch had completed his objective. Allowing Robb Stark to view his intellect and analytical skills while learning of the Lannisters was the primary objective of him attending this meeting and he had been successful. As an added bonus, he planted seeds of wonder into the Lannister man's mind. He reached for his left eye and thought of all the possible commands he could give to that prisoner. Using his geass on him was a very real option that was worth exploring. He would have to plan it out a bit of course, but he had time; after all, the prisoner wasn't going anywhere right?

Robb patiently waited for the lanky boy to catch up to him as he ran his fingers through his long hair. The boy had surprised him and earned his respect. Anyone that could do _that _to the Kingslayer will always impress him and was a valuable asset. He grabbed the hilt of his sword and his knuckles turned white. Maybe he was too valuable. Shaking the thoughts away he took a deep breath and waved to him again.

"Lelouch! Hurry, you are slower then my mother!"

He saw the boy run the rest of the short distance and, when he finally reached him, he was bent over gasping pathetically for valuable air while mumbling something about one of his personal friends being an exercise nut. "You can't lead any troops like that, don't worry I will have one of the other Lords train you. Perhaps Lord Karstark would be inclined to help."

Lelouch visibly paled at that thought before standing up straighter. He wanted to reject Robb's suggestion, but realized that if he was forced into an armed conflict then a more physically able body might prolong his life by a few more minutes. There weren't any knightmare frames around that could augment his combat abilities and protect him. Communications weren't developed enough that he could simply bark orders directly from the rear; he would actually have to enter the battle in order to relay commands from time to time. Perhaps he could send C.C.? Maybe he can do that later, but in order to win the trust of the men he would need to first lead them from the front in the very beginning. Curse this technologically inept world.

"Yes Lord Karstark would do just fine, Robb." Now that the Lannister business was done with, he needed to focus on getting information on the world. Yes the old man was probably a good candidate to use so that he could learn about Westeros. If he wasn't enough, he could ask the others as well. Lady Stark would be good too and perhaps even Robb.

"I need to ask you a favor. Could you tell me about Westeros. People from my parts are as ignorant to your area as you are to ours." Lelouch questioned as they kept walking.

"That's a long favor you know? There's much history and culture in Westeros and especially in the North. House Stark is incredible with our relation to the first men and…"

Lelouch sighed. He was worried about this possibility. What he was going to hear would be totally biased. If only the real C.C. was around; she could look into their thoughts and then explain everything.

"Actually start from the beginning, the _very_ beginning of history." Lelouch asked

Robb was a bit offended. "Well my mother and Lord Glover are better at it then I am. You should ask them instead, they will happily oblige. I reckon we might have to visit the Tullys soon; they have books of information there. I can have them share it with you when we see them if you wish. I can also send a raven and have some scrolls brought in."

"Yes that will do." He nodded his head in agreement.

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When they finally reached the base of the camp, Lelouch quickly pardoned himself in order to check on C.C.; she was still inside the tent and was taking a relaxing nap with arms over her head. Her clothes were disheveled yet again. The Lannister business had taken longer then he had hoped and so a prickling sensation of worry for the lime-haired witch had been constantly bothering him since the walk back. Of course, like always, he was just simply being paranoid. He sat down next to her and brushed the hair on her forehead away; still not a single trace of a geass symbol, a trademark of immortal beings, could be found. After getting over his disappointment he realized that, to his chagrin, she kept muttering his name in her sleep.

His cheeks flushed when he reached down and heard what she was saying in a broken manner, "Prince. Lelouch. kiss me. Please?"

He abruptly stood up and began shaking her shoulders. He was now strangely and acutely aware of her rose pink lips, smooth porcelain skin, and silky emerald hair. A witch? No, she was a princess._ Wait... what?! Snap out of it Lelouch Vi Britannia! _He began referring to his cold-blooded, princely mask so that he could stop blushing like a school boy.

Her eyes finally flickered opened and she sat up before stretching like a cat. When her eyes met his, she quickly touched her lips and then blushed a furious red before fixing her clothes.

"Ah! Um um… you're back L-Lelouch!" She squeaked out the obvious.

Lelouch chuckled, finally regaining his cool exterior, "Yes, and I have returned better then before. Want to hear what happened?"

She sat up to attention while nodding furiously before stopping herself and shyly asking, "If it wouldn't be too much trouble I mean." Her mind really had reverted to how it was before the power of geass came. He gave a sad smile before explaining the days events.

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"You summoned us _your grace_." Proclaimed Lelouch as he and C.C. followed a guard who had fetched them inside the War Council tent.

Robb folded his hands, interlocked his fingers, and propped up his elbows while resting his chin on his knuckles. Seven lords stood behind him and a sudden feeling of deja-vu swept through the room.

"Lelouch, you have been summoned here to discuss the subject of your occupation in this military camp and our hierarchy." Robb began, "First and foremost, I have pitched in on your behalf and told them that you possess talent. We are all willing to accept you if you can accomplish one small thing for us."

"You want me to end the revolts in Lord Balton's territory due to his death don't you?" Lelouch asserted to Robb's pleasure.

"Well aren't you a smart ass! You filthy foreigner!" Spat out Lord Umber, but Lelouch ignored him.

"Yes, that is exactly what we wish for you to do. It is not an easy task and we will accommodate your necessities and give you seven hundred men."

_More then enough to deal with simple riots. _Lelouch grabbed C.C's hand. "Does she have permission to accompany me?"

"Of course not! You might run away with her and our men!" Accused a white haired man with a chiseled face.

However, Robb put him down immediately. "Lord Jason Mallister! I trust Lelouch, and after he has successfully accomplished this mission, I am sure that you will all trust him as well. Anyways now that we have that established, anything else?"

Lelouch glanced over the entire room and pinpointed a large piece of parchment, a book with a straight-edge to make lines, ink, and the red lion, white wolf, blue stag, and black dragon map markers before he replied, "There is one more thing your grace. How about a game of chess?"

Robb stood up and walked over to one of the tables. "Like I said before, I don't know what this 'chess' game is or how it is played."

Lelouch then swiftly gathered the aforementioned items to everyone's amusement. He drew a crude, but accurate chess board onto the piece of parchment and appropriately placed the pieces using eight white wolf markers and eight black dragon markers. Robb took the silent cue and sat down from across Lelouch. The chess master slowly explained the rules and Robb picked up quickly to the dark prince's delight.

Everyone was in a circle around the two opponents, and bent over to observe the imminent game with childish curiosity apparent on their faces. When Lelouch noticed one of the guards giving a perverted glance at the bent C.C., he quickly pulled her into his lap without thinking. When he realized this, he still didn't simply push the blushing girl away since he was sure that his actions would just confuse her. Once you begin an act you should finish the act, or the act will finish you. It was a motto that he followed during warfare. That was the ONLY reason he didn't push her away. Yup, there was no ulterior reason. He didn't care how nice she smelled or how warm she was as she fit perfectly into his embrace. He kept reassuring himself before glancing back down at the chess board.

Forgetting everything else, he gave a chuckle before enigmatically muttering, with a hint of forcefulness apparent in his voice, "The stage is set, make the first move _your grace_."

Robb reached over and slowly moved a wolf piece, marked "P" for pawn in ink, forward two spaces.

"The King's pawn huh?" Lelouch muttered slowly, with that same predator-like smile on his face.

Dutch, Indian, or Spanish? How should he open? He reached over, lifted up a black, 'P' dragon piece and moved it forward just one space.

He leaned back, inclined his head and whispered in that distinct husky, zero voice something that only C.C. could hear; something that shot chills up her spine, "_Now then…"_

**A/N****: Sorry for taking a whole two weeks to update guys! Some things came up and I had a hard time getting Jaime's character down. **

**Thanks and look forward to the next chapter!**

**Remember to read, review, and repeat!**

**Also, special thank you to LittleNK (who personally PM me) and everyone else for showing interest in this story!**

**-TheNewCatch24**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Into the Journey**

The beginning of a new day is usually symbolized by early rays of light cutting through the darkened sky. But on this rare occasion, the rising sun had been too late; numerous swords belonging to seven hundred warriors had already sliced through the fresh, Northern air many times prior to dawn's advent.

Lelouch scrutinized his battalion with deep concentration, his brow rising in the process. He had been given two days to prepare for what would occur within only five hours. The War Council had conscripted him into leading a medium sized battalion under the objective of pacifying any violence present within the lands belonging to the dead Lord Bolton; it was the final test. Today, his two days were finally up; if he returned alive and successful, then his place under Robb's protection would be firmly acknowledged by the majority of the Northern Lords.

After finishing the chess game with Robb, which Lelouch had obviously won, he had requested to immediately meet his seven hundred _borrowed_ men. The idea still caused him to scoff in absolute disgust; his level of disapproval for the old men of Robb's council had risen exponentially when he had learned how large his personal force was going to be. Those antiquated fools must think of him as an idiot. Seven hundred men, of which one hundred were archers, two were drummers, rest were swordsman, and all were riders? In order to put down disorganized riots by farmers and artisans? That is ridiculous. Which meant only one thing, they were hiding something from him.

Lelouch grit his teeth in anger. There was a high chance that he would meet another militarized force that used to belong to Lord Bolton, and also possibly meet the soldiers of another noble house, perhaps the Lannisters, who wished to claim the land for themselves. Robb had received a message, "The Lions are hunting near the Rivers," which meant that they had men in the Riverlands. These people could have traveled to Dreadfort within two days. The War Council definitely knew that the possibility of him encountering a specialized fighting force existed, but they still had never explicitly told him. It was both a trial and a way to show their internal contempt for Lelouch, probably because he was a foreigner who had gained the trust of their king so quickly. He took a deep breath and calmed his anger. Patience is a virtue right?

Lelouch shut his amethyst eyes in irritation as the new streaks of morning light illumined his handsome face. Gently making his way to the front this temporary battalion, he raised one hand in the air and snapped his fingers in an ostentatious fashion.

Four individuals wearing black and gold armor immediately snapped to attention before crying out in unison, "Halt! Sheathe your swords! Now march! One, two, three, four!"

Those four men had been recommended by Robb himself. Lelouch had met every single one of his combatants individually the last two days and this particular quartet had pleased him. Their names were Adame, Kyat, Trystin, and Brenton. Apart from being nearly similar in appearance with dark hair, ashen skin, and a light build, all four of them were in their thirties, had great memory, and were fairly dimwitted; perfect fits for their roles. According to Robb, they were honorable men who serve Winterfell and would slit their own throat if their King commanded it. Likewise, to these men, any person held in such high regard by their King _must_ be trustworthy. In Lelouch's eyes, they were fantastic, idiotic dogs with a great capacity to follow orders. After a few charming words over dinner, a little persuasion from Robb, and a proposal to become temporary officers for the upcoming battle, the four had practically bent at the knee for Lelouch. In their own words, "We will gladly obey and fight for any man who has earned the respect of the North, for the sake of the North." They all wore their unique colored armor to show their new position. Honestly though, the quartet were nothing more then over-glorified messenger pigeons who would scurry around the field and relay his orders to the men.

_Thud, thud, thud, thud. _The regular soldiers, filing into ranks and columns with matching grey armor, followed the orders of their "superior" officers. At last, after some time and one final "halt," the hard working men were given an opportunity for respite.

Lelouch grinned in approval at the spectacle. The men in front of him were very competent and had already witnessed ample bloodshed under Robb's successful campaigns. He was really thankful that the Young Wolf had won his battles; men coming off consecutive victories are always high in morale and ambition. Predictably, very few of them had actually shown aversion when their beloved Northern King had ordered them into rallying behind Lelouch. The smart ones that did seem uncertain were quickly put to ease after Lelouch had visited them individually. Nevertheless, even though he had tried to establish some kind of relationship with his military force, he knew that their loyalty was simply loaned. At the end of the day, these men belonged to Robb and only agreed to fight behind the foreigner to satisfy their leader. This meant that, during actual combat, controversial orders and tactics could possibly backfire on him if he wasn't careful.

This is exactly why Lelouch had spent the last forty of forty-eight hours preparing meticulously. Time is a valuable resource and he had put it all to good use. Scouting through a small pile of books that were present at the camp, Lelouch had learned many things about Westeros including: its rich history, toxic political atmosphere, medieval economic system, and their antiquated standard approach to warfare. Robb had delivered on his promise to bring various informational scrolls via raven-fare. It was refreshing learning about a new culture. This world wasn't that different from his own, and had striking similarities to the 1400s when the War of Roses took place in Britannia. Coupling his deductive ability with historical knowledge, Lelouch pretty much had a full picture of Westeros from the information he had appraised thus far. Reading the history of the Targaryens, Lannisters, Starks, Greyjoys, Baratheons, Tyrells, Boltons, Martells, and others filled him with both wonder and dread. The world sickened him to his stomach; he saw it as ancient, cruel, and darwinistic; not very different from a medieval Britannia. Still, books can't serve as the only foundation for his opinions. He would keep an open mind and see this world through his own critical eyes before truly coming to a conclusion.

Apart from reading, Lelouch had also allocated time to preparing drills for his men. A battalion of seven hundred could be divided into four companies of 175. Each company had one supervising officer and these companies were then divided into five platoons of 35. This was as a standard military hierarchy in Britannia. It was very formulaic and allowed for a great amount of simple maneuvers. It was easy to memorize after a few drills. Therefore, it was also very predictable, but he was willing to bet that this wouldn't be the case in an alien land such as Westeros. Lelouch had implemented a Britannian system simply because Robb's soldiers were already experienced and could pick it up easily. Also, he wasn't comfortable with using medieval standards of warfare considering they were primitive and attrition based. The function of today's drill was simply to enforce muscle memory.

Lelouch looked to his right when he heard a drawn out yawn coming from that direction, all the while giving an exaggerated smile. A certain witch was currently sitting on a smooth rock with a dazed expression on her face. Knees at an upright, acute angle, the girl had her hands wrapped around her legs. Poor girl must be tired from waking up early today. "C.C.," he commanded, "Bring me my horse." Stifling another yawn, she sleepily walked towards a snow-white horse with dark, deep eyes. It was like something out of a fairytale. Robb had allowed him to borrow the horse, Blancus, for the battle. C.C. curtly handed him its reins before going back to her little rock with ill disguised impatience. Lelouch raised an eyebrow. What was the matter with her? Giving a sigh, he mounted Blancus, straightened his posture, and majestically approached the men.

They all stood to attention when Lelouch drew closer with Blancus' graceful, but audible, trot now dramatically filling the suddenly quiet scene.

Looking at them from up high, Lelouch received nostalgic flashbacks of the Black Knights. He can count on these men to follow him into battle, yet the level of sheer trust that his members, such as Ohgi, Kallen, Tohdoh, or even Tamaki, displayed dwarfed that of any given warrior standing before him. He missed his "Knights for Justice."

Expelling these thoughts, Lelouch opened his mouth to speak, "Warriors of the North, hear my words! In only a few hours, we will march into Dreadfort where fellow Northmen burn the land with the black flames of wanton violence, kill innocents who count on us to keep them safe, and shame the name of our King! They are traitors of the North. Are you all satisfied with that? All of you followed your Lords into battle because you want to keep the North safe. Yet, these traitors are doing just the opposite! Don't forget who you are! You are the ones who will fight and defeat the Lannisters. You are the ones who will burn King's Landings for what they did to Eddard Stark! You are the ones who left your own lands to be here today, unlike those cowards who are making a mockery of your sacrifices! You are the avengers of the North; therefore be the avengers of noble blood today! The light of your glory will be seen, and the thunderous march of your feet will be heard from all cardinal directions! I, Lelouch Lamperouge, chosen by our King, promise you victory! Follow my orders, and it will be assured!"

At this point, the men broke out into loud cheers; pounding their feet into the ground they exclaimed, "Long live the North! Death to Dreadfort! Long live the North! Death to Dreadfort!"

"I hear you! Robb Stark hears you! The entire North hears you! Westeros hears you! And the traitors who set a dominion of our land aflame will hear you soon enough!"

The cheers were now louder. Lelouch smirked as the energy exuding from the men became palpable.

Lelouch gave a theatrical sweep of his hand to quiet down them down a bit. Riding from one end to the other, he concluded his premature war speech, "Now follow your officers back to camp in formation B. Gather your supplies, and rest your bodies, for our journey to the promised time is nearly upon us!"

The men broke into two large companies so that they may follow the order, cheering all the way.

The Black Prince galloped back to C.C., who seemed very awake now. He extended his hand, which she shyly took, and he pulled her up behind him.

"Ready to go back?" He questioned.

To his confusion, C.C. didn't answer. She gave a small nod and buried her head in his back. This was… unusual? Neither the old witch nor this new one had ever exhibited this type of behavior.

Turning over his shoulder he asked, "C.C. are you okay?" Again, there was no answer.

"Can we just return to camp Lelouch?" Her grip tightening, C.C.'s voice came out muffled.

Lelouch was dumbfounded. He had done nothing wrong! So why was she acting like this? Possibilities ran through his head, a few of which, though highly unlikely, stuck out like a sore thumb: _Could the Code be causing this? Was she sick? Did her period start or something? But wasn't she still immortal? That couldn't be right. _He gave a sigh before pulling on Blancus' reins in order to rejoin his battalion on their retreat back. He can't cause a scene right now. Once they were back in camp, Lelouch will discuss the matter with her. And so they rode on, in absolute silence.

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Tranquility. That was the perfect word to describe Lelouch's surroundings. Ignoring the scuffling of marching feet, the murmurs among the troops, and the beating of hoofs against the soft ground, one could truly appreciate the beauty of these Northern woods. Crimson and emerald leafs, alongside the crisp aroma of nature, were carried through the azure sky by periodic gusts of wind. Fallen twigs cracked under the weight of laboring horses, while light swerved around the still intact branches above. The foliages in the heavens danced in ecstasy whenever the gentle, teasing breeze touched them. It was so _calming_. He wanted to point it all out to C.C., but he had a feeling she would just try to ignore him again.

Lelouch inhaled, then exhaled. Perhaps being surrounded by a myriad of illusionary products from the Post-Modern Era for much of his life resulted in this unique sentimental feeling. Perhaps that's why he was currently showing such a pseudo-transcendentalist attitude towards the environment.

Upon entering the domain of Robb's Camp, Lelouch finally snapped from his stupor. What was he now? A romantic? The warlock had been personifying nature of all things on a thirty minute ride back. He watched as his battalion dispersed, now patiently waiting to be summoned soon. As for C.C. and him, they quietly walked to their tent. Three more hours until they would have to leave Robb's aegis and finally make their new, official mark on Westeros. But first, he would have to find out what C.C.'s issue was.

Walking into their tent, Lelouch quickly tied the curtain off and turned towards his accomplice. "Okay, C.C., what's your problem?" He questioned. He saw her visibly flinch on the bed; his tone had been a bit harsh. Slowly walking towards her, he sat down and awkwardly patted her back.

"Is something wrong? You can always talk to me you know?"

"You would know if you had been paying attention." She tersely replied, her legs kicking the air.

"…What?" Lelouch deadpanned, gone was the compassionate tone that he had tried to portray. He honestly had no clue what she meant.

C.C.'s eyes widened when she realized the manner in which she had addressed Lelouch. "Master! I am sorry! Nothing's wrong! I didn't mean to sound so rude! Forgive me!" She brought her hands up to shield her head. That's where they usually struck first.

Lelouch frowned at her words. For the past few days, C.C.'s personality had made some progress. She had slowly gone from acting like a slave girl to acting more like a normal girl;. Though she was still a far cry from her regular self, he had hoped that the Code was slowly unlocking itself. Now he could see that this wasn't the case. She had merely opened up to him, but now he was losing her again.

"I am not angry. I just want you to explain what you meant by me not paying any attention." Maybe she was sick? If that was the case, then she should consider getting a refund on her Code. He reached over to touch her forehead. It did feel slightly warm.

C.C. squirmed away in embarrassment. "No! I am fine Lelouch! It's just um you have been busy lately and…" She trailed off.

"And?" Lelouch inclined his head, probing for more information.

"You haven't been paying attention… to me I mean…" She blushed a deep crimson and tilted her head down, her lime colored hair cascading over her countenance. Lelouch was suddenly reminded of the beautiful crimson and emerald leafs during the trek back.

The witch looked back at him with her slightly flaxen eyes. "You were busy! So I don't blame you, but I felt-"

"You felt lonely because you thought that I was ignoring you?" Lelouch finished for her.

C.C. nodded.

Lelouch crossed his arms and stared.

C.C. averted her eyes again.

Lelouch snorted.

C.C. looked up with a questioning gaze.

Lelouch, usually a master of controlling his emotions, could no longer stifle the laugh that was now bubbling out. He couldn't believe it! Amnesia or not, C.C.'s behavior was pure gold. Not in a million years could he have imagined having this kind of conversation with her. It was all so _silly _and out of character for both of them.

A genuine laugh rang throughout the tent, much to C.C.'s chagrin. Lelouch pulled her into a hug, causing her to flinch in fear. She then relaxed into his embrace.

"C.C., I wasn't disregarding you! I have been busy, perhaps even a bit obsessed with planning the upcoming battle out. You might not remember this, but there was a time when I made a contract with you; one from me to you, my accomplice."

Lelouch had needed this, he didn't care if C.C. didn't know what he was talking about. Admittedly, he had been very preoccupied with his stratagems. Even most Black Knight conflicts had not required this level of plotting. It dawned on him that this was simply a case of him being nervous. Yes, he is a genius strategist and tactician. Yes, he is a brilliant military commander. But at the end of the day, he was still a student—though a special student—trapped in a whole new world, with new faces, new cultures, and new lands. He had to face new enemies and new tactics. As a result, he'd been so anxious that he had drowned himself in his research. But now he could feel that edgy feeling leaving him, and he felt refreshed. He felt like Zero, the man who could achieve anything.

Distracted by his thoughts, the exiled prince did not immediately notice C.C. brushing her lips up against his ears before nostalgically whispering, "You always did think too much, my warlock."

Lelouch's heart skipped a bit when he heard the snide comment. Could it be? Pushing her out of his embrace, he brought her chin up and scanned her forehead; there was nothing.

"Did you say something C.C.?" The "warlock" wistfully asked. The bewildered girl gave a sincere shook of her head. So had it been his imagination?

Lelouch quickly hid his disappointment and barked out an order, "Anyways, pack our clothes in a bag and wait here. Take a small nap if you are tired. I'll be back; I have something to discuss with Robb. Don't leave the tent, understood?" He stood up, ready to exit outside.

"Okay Lelouch! So um later…"

"Later?" The puzzled boy queried.

"I mean 'See you later,' Lelouch!" C.C. finished with a satisfied smile. He gave a chuckle at that.

"Right. I'll be back later." With his black coat swishing over his back, the boy was gone.

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Lelouch was a prideful individual, this was no secret. The fact that he had been forced to subjugate himself to the Starks and those old men in order to survive in this new world annoyed him to no end. It was true that Robb was a decent person, and Lelouch liked him as an ally, but his pride as a prince and as Zero would never allow him to be an actual subordinate. Even ignoring that, he could never tolerate the fact that his and C.C.'s safety were actually depended on a boy-king and his decrepit advisors.

Upon returning victorious today, he could finally begin his own personal agenda. He had thrown a few ideas around his head and most went like this: He would rise up within the ranks of the Starks, establish a position of supremacy, and then manipulate Robb behind the scenes while building his own army. Simultaneously he will find a way to use Jaime Lannister in order to control his family as well. Lelouch reached up and touched his trump card. Yes, once he returns he will use the power to give specific orders to Jaime so that he can get a foot in the door of the Lannisters.

These were just some of the devious jumble of thoughts running amok in Lelouch's head as he waited for his opponent to make his final move. Why? Because he was bored. He had come to discuss some official matters with Robb, but the prideful man had challenged him to a game instead.

Robb Stark cracked his head to one side, rubbed his left temple furiously, crossed his legs, and then concealed his face in his hands, for the umpteenth time, in a vain effort to _think_. How could he be trapped like this? Begrudgingly picking up the white king, Robb made his move and avoided the gaze drilling into him from across the table; he knew that a certain raven haired boy probably had a triumphant, condescending grin plastered all over his smug face right about now.

The foreigner came here to discuss a few things, then there was a bit of trash talking, and now Robb is stuck in this horse shit; unbelievable.

Lelouch wrapped his thin, but long, fingers around a black piece and cried out, "Checkmate!" Scoffing, he haughtily taunted, "I win again, _your grace_. What does that make our total standings now? 23-2 in my favor?"

Indeed, the Dark Prince had bested the Young Wolf in their entertaining series of games twenty-three times in the span of two days. After twelve cases of classic thrashings via chess, which had acted as a surprisingly effective stress reliever for Lelouch, Robb had tried to take matters into his own prideful hands. To the foreigner's infinite amusement, a game called "Cyvasse" was brought out and explained to him. It was a peculiar game with rules and pieces much different from chess, but he had still been more then happy to oblige to a challenge. This was until Robb promptly won the first game and then, with a lot of difficulty, took the second game as well. By the third game, Lelouch had finally grasped its basics, snatched a victory, and never looked back again. The Young Wolf, being the prideful Lord of Winterfell, had continually pressured Lelouch to participate in matches during their free time, but the result was always the same.

"You didn't use your dragons even once! I can't believe you still won. I had to move mine many times to keep it close."

"You shouldn't keep your dragons close Robb, you should rather keep close to the dragon. There is a difference."

Lelouch twirled the Cyvasse black king in his fingers. Peeking at the game board, he realized how his situation was aptly reflected by it: Regardless of Cyvasse and chess, or Westeros and Britannia, the Black King and Lelouch could be found in either world standing equally mighty.

Robb looked up in annoyance. "Pretty cocky for someone who has to ride into battle within the hour," He paused, "Speaking of which, have you prepared well?"

Lelouch briefly stopped cleaning up the Cyvasse set and chuckled at the enquiry, "Your worries are touching, but it's misplaced. I've memorized the maps, acquainted myself with the troops, read over various books, and glanced at the scrolls. I have prepared well, perhaps too well. Besides, 700 men to stop rioters is a bit too much don't you think?" _Take the bait Robb Stark_.

"I am glad you are confident my friend." Robb stated in a humdrum voice.

Lelouch narrowed his eyes at the tone of the answer. He could understand the old men hiding the fact that they would be running into a militarized force. But why Robb?

"You've figured it out." Robb said, breaking the boy's train of thought.

"…Why didn't you explicitly tell me?" Lelouch candidly countered.

"Because I trust you. I knew for a fact that you would figure out the secret mission you've been granted. Though I wasn't totally sure till now. I promised the old farts that I wouldn't tell you. I never promised them what I would do if you found out yourself though."

So that was it? Robb didn't say anything because he wanted to adhere to a vow? That was unexpected. No, there was always another motivation. Robb might feel threatened by Lelouch's intelligence and was hoping that he would perish. The Dark Prince inspected the Young Wolf's body language. There wasn't anything. He genuinely seemed happy that Lelouch had figured it out.

"So you want out?" Robb nonchalantly asked while carrying the Cyvasse set back into a cabinet. "I am not some lad that will listen to everything my War Council will say. Honestly, if you had objected to going into battle two days ago, I would have stood up by your side. But you are pretty hard headed you know that?"

Lelouch laughed. "No, thank you for the proposal, but no. I want to discover more of Westeros, Robb. I will arrive, I will see, and I will conquer Dreadfort."

Robb nodded in approval. "That's the Northern spirit! We must be rubbing of on you, but make sure to come back safe. I have sent Theon to Iron Islands; you must leave too. Dreadfort is a land established for thousands of years, forsaken in the eyes of all seven gods and all living men. Be careful, you two are my friends and I would be just a little bit pissed if you died."

Lelouch finished his goblet of water and stood up, "Well, that makes it simple _your grace_."

"Indeed it does Lelouch, indeed it does." With a final farewell, the Dark Prince walked out into the midday, military milieu.

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A ugly man dressed in fine, red clothes of silk strutted around a cross shaped, wooden pillar. He has wide bones and small shoulders. Shifting his weight on his feet, he pulls his trousers up, because a certain fattiness threatens to form a small muffin-top otherwise; a clear indication of this man becoming obese in the near future. Pink and blotchy, his nose broad, his hair slightly long, he pulls out a sword. Although his mouth is unimpressive in size, the lips are long and wormy looking, and he smiles a wet-lipped smile. With a cruel laugh, the man impales a flayed man, close to death, through the head. He is a sadist. He was Ramsay Snow, though now he is the new Lord Bolton.

"Lord Bolton, we have news that the last of the rioters are quieting down." The reporting man was Skinner, one of the members of the infamously fierce "Bastard's Boys" who are loyal to Ramsay and sworn to Lord Roose Bolton for life. After their leader's death, they had supported the bastard son's rise to power at Dreadfort. A fake parchment upholding Ramsay Snow's claim to legitimacy was crafted and the military was put under the ex-Snow's thumb soon after through the powers of "persuasion" by the Bastard Boy's gang. Anyone who refused was hunted down and killed. The rioters, after a massacre alongside public displays of flaying, had been crushed. Dreadfort had truly become a land of death and carnage.

"That's very good news. Father would be so proud of me! And I hope you kept some alive? I really want to try flaying a young girl for once. It's been awhile. Oh how I love upholding family traditions." Ramsay chortled as he gestured at the impaled farmer on the wooden pillar.

"I will have Ben Bones find someone, my Lord." Skinner got up and made a movement towards the exit.

"Wait. I also want all vassals sworn to my name brought in as soon as possible for a ceremony to honor my father's time, and also so that they can learn of my ascension. It has been a few days since his death. The sooner we have people realize that a Bolton still lives, the better it will be for us. Have the hounds patrol the gates in the mean time, draw a bath, and don't disturb me again unless its important news 'Skinny'." He cracked a laugh at his own joke.

"Yes my Lord!" With that Skinner left his new leader to his cruel musings and went to carry out his commands.

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To the west of Dreadfort, had one been listening closely, a painful yell could be heard. This was caused by a man having his head bashed into a bloody mess by three yellow dogs, or more specifically, a man with shoulders as thick as tree trunks taking a large shield, with the sigil of yellow dogs, and crashing it into the face of a servant who had snored too loudly. The others pretended to not notice the gruesome display of anger from the aforementioned behemoth of a man.

"We been waiting for the scouts to come back! I never told anyone of ya' to put your ugly heads down and sleep! You fucking women! I am going to be as rich as anyone and everyone after I come back to Lord Tywin with the rights to Dreadfort! If any of ya' pansies would rather fancy a nap, then I'll give you a permanent one! Now get on your horses and get ready to ride!"

The soldiers slowly mounted their horses as the crass giant picked up a small modified banner of House Lannister and House Clegane.

This was Ser Gregor Clegane, a man known for his size, cruelty, and strength in battle. A tactical weapon among humans, he was now heading towards Lord Bolton's lands after terrorizing the Riverlands.

Taking his hand and wiping off the servant's blood on his five hundred pound armor, the heaviest in the Seven Kingdoms, he faces the east with dreams of pillaging the land and its women.

"On second thought, screw the scouts!" With a strong kick to the horse, the Mountain rides on, unbeknownst to him, towards the new Lord Bolton and Lelouch vi Britannia.

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Lelouch looked at the dazzling horizon with C.C. clinging to his back. Robb's camp was behind him and his battalion was to his right.

Turning Blancus towards them he boomed out, "My Northern Warriors, the time has come! We will now begin our journey to Dreadfort."

Now boring his gaze into his four officers he continued, in a quieter voice, "Once we are within a four miles radius, Company A and Company B, led by Adame and Kyat respectively, will take formation C in order to watch the rear. I will lead the vanguard alongside Trysten and Brenton. We will take a three tier 'Wedge Formation' and I will be found in the front wedge. Is that understood?"

"Yes sire!" They nodded in approval.

"Until then, we will ride in loose columns of 25 and rows of 28. Now, let's begin our campaign shall we?" Lelouch pulled on Blancus' reins, causing C.C. to squeak, before galloping off into the horizon with the ghost of a white steak trailing behind. The men gave a loud cheer of agreement and immediately followed.

Lelouch smirked. In a few hours, they should arrive at their destination. Be it Lannister foes, Bolton foes, or both, he will once again strike fear into the hearts of his enemies; he couldn't wait. This feeling of control, this urge to win, it was a feeling he had taken for granted as Zero.

Lelouch's menacing grin split apart to allow a wicked laugh to escape. He was ready to make his first, official bloodstained mark on this world.

**A/N: Thanks to everyone for all the wonderful support you have shown! Some of those reviews really flatter me and boost my confidence. Also thank you for patiently waiting for this chapter, turns out I can't update once a week! So, now I am going to make it a goal to update once every two weeks! Much more realistic with my hectic schedule.**

**Constructive criticism for first time writers is always welcome! **

**Next chapter is going to be a long one with a lot of action… and probably lots of blood. Because of this, I will, therefore, change the rating to "MATURE" when I post the next chapter just to be safe.**

**Anyways hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! **

**Remember to read, review and repeat!**

**TheNewCatch24**


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